Part One: “Relating to Rob” [Essay]Part Two: “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” [Soundtrack “Mix” and Personal Narrative] This is a two-part summative. Begin by clicking here to watch an introductory video clip. Next, click here to watch a follow-up video clip.
Context: Recall the literary concept of dynamic characterization.Engaging in a narrative, we observe when, how, and why characters “change” as a direct result of events throughout the story. A character who exhibits specific thoughts and behaviors (and holds specific values and beliefs based or her or his perceptions), is suddenly faced with a conflict. Seeking to overcome that conflict, the character realizes how perception (“phenomena”) and reality (“nounema”) are not one-in-the-same. Through a series of challenges (the story’s rising actions and complications), a dynamic character learns a lesson or two and subsequently changes her or his thinking, behavior, values, and beliefs.
Throughout fiction and nonfiction alike, we observed and analyzed the dynamic changes of characters all school year.
Realize this: Your life is an ongoing story. You are its author. You are your story’s forever-changing dynamic protagonist. To quote Immanuel Kant, you are often faced with moments of angst and despair. To this point, when have you overcome those moments and realized that “Truth” is a perception and “truths” are reality?
But more on that in a minute.
Part One: Let us first consider High Fidelity—the novel and film. Protagonist Rob Gordon is clearly a dynamic character. Through his trials and tribulations—his angst and his despair—what lessons did Rob learn? How did he grow? How did he change?
You are to write an essay comprised of three detailed, evidence-laden paragraphs. In this essay, you will demonstrate the extent to which you followed High Fidelity as a literary text: How you understood what the text had to say, what lessons Rob learned, how and why he learned them, and ultimately the themes (morals or messages) of the whole story.
Do not to write a three-paragraph essay in the traditional sense (“introduction, body, and conclusion”). Instead, start your first paragraph with an attention-getter, some context from the story, a specific lesson Rob learned, and evidence from the story that demonstrates it. Transition into a second and then a third paragraph, both of which should point to additional lessons learned and additional evidence. Your third paragraph should wrap up with an appropriate clincher, ideally several sentences that tie your observations from all three paragraphs into one conclusive thought.
Part Two: The second, separate part of this assignment involves producing something that Rob himself would actually produce. Using popular culture—in this case, music—as a means of self-exploration, “drop a mix” of songs that demonstrate how you make sense of yourself: Your beliefs, values, and place in this world. Align specific songs to key events from your life to this point. It’s “the soundtrack of your life.” (That is, at least for now. You are a constantly changing person—a dynamic character. Your story will change with you.)
Don’t limit yourself to your “favorite” songs. Think about songs that you associate with specific rising actions and complications from within your autobiography. Think about songs that demonstrate your changes. Then, within the “liner notes” of your mix CD, write a series of short but extremely specific personal narratives that explain the lesson-bearing meaning or connotation of each song.
Mr. Zoubek will provide you with some examples.
* * * * * So your initial short essay is just that: A short essay. Think of Part One as: “I am a Language Arts student. In this essay I must write about how I engaged in a classroom text.” You are to highlight and analyze key, important, thematic moments from High Fidelity that chart Rob’s changes, which in turn teach him—and us—a few life-lessons.
The second part of this project is an autobiographical mix, and accompanying compilation of brief but still informative personal narratives. Think of Part Two as: “I am a walking pastiche. These songs are literary texts from which I borrow and make sense of myself and my surroundings. This CD provides but a few examples of how I am the product of my culture which, in part, includes music.”
You must compile your Top Five/Top 10 songs that signify, align with, play a key role in, or remind you of noteworthy, essential instances in your biography. Your CD case insert (cover, song list, and interior) must visually and narratively articulate each song’s intended meaning or importance. Chronicle whatever ultra-significant life stories make “you” . . . well . . . you . . . The music (soundtrack) and liner notes (artwork and narratives) should complement five or 10 noteworthy rising actions and complications from your life: Moments of significant growth, change, and now reflection.
Looking for an example? You can see Mr. Zoubek's Top Five! Click below . . .
This is a two-part summative. Begin by clicking here to watch an introductory video clip. Next, click here to watch a follow-up video clip.
Context: Recall the literary concept of dynamic characterization.Engaging in a narrative, we observe when, how, and why characters “change” as a direct result of events throughout the story. A character who exhibits specific thoughts and behaviors (and holds specific values and beliefs based or her or his perceptions), is suddenly faced with a conflict. Seeking to overcome that conflict, the character realizes how perception (“phenomena”) and reality (“nounema”) are not one-in-the-same. Through a series of challenges (the story’s rising actions and complications), a dynamic character learns a lesson or two and subsequently changes her or his thinking, behavior, values, and beliefs.
Throughout fiction and nonfiction alike, we observed and analyzed the dynamic changes of characters all school year.
Realize this: Your life is an ongoing story. You are its author. You are your story’s forever-changing dynamic protagonist. To quote Immanuel Kant, you are often faced with moments of angst and despair. To this point, when have you overcome those moments and realized that “Truth” is a perception and “truths” are reality?
But more on that in a minute.
Part One: Let us first consider High Fidelity—the novel and film. Protagonist Rob Gordon is clearly a dynamic character. Through his trials and tribulations—his angst and his despair—what lessons did Rob learn? How did he grow? How did he change?
You are to write an essay comprised of three detailed, evidence-laden paragraphs. In this essay, you will demonstrate the extent to which you followed High Fidelity as a literary text: How you understood what the text had to say, what lessons Rob learned, how and why he learned them, and ultimately the themes (morals or messages) of the whole story.
Do not to write a three-paragraph essay in the traditional sense (“introduction, body, and conclusion”). Instead, start your first paragraph with an attention-getter, some context from the story, a specific lesson Rob learned, and evidence from the story that demonstrates it. Transition into a second and then a third paragraph, both of which should point to additional lessons learned and additional evidence. Your third paragraph should wrap up with an appropriate clincher, ideally several sentences that tie your observations from all three paragraphs into one conclusive thought.
Part Two: The second, separate part of this assignment involves producing something that Rob himself would actually produce. Using popular culture—in this case, music—as a means of self-exploration, “drop a mix” of songs that demonstrate how you make sense of yourself: Your beliefs, values, and place in this world. Align specific songs to key events from your life to this point. It’s “the soundtrack of your life.” (That is, at least for now. You are a constantly changing person—a dynamic character. Your story will change with you.)
Don’t limit yourself to your “favorite” songs. Think about songs that you associate with specific rising actions and complications from within your autobiography. Think about songs that demonstrate your changes. Then, within the “liner notes” of your mix CD, write a series of short but extremely specific personal narratives that explain the lesson-bearing meaning or connotation of each song.
Mr. Zoubek will provide you with some examples.
* * * * *
So your initial short essay is just that: A short essay. Think of Part One as: “I am a Language Arts student. In this essay I must write about how I engaged in a classroom text.” You are to highlight and analyze key, important, thematic moments from High Fidelity that chart Rob’s changes, which in turn teach him—and us—a few life-lessons.
The second part of this project is an autobiographical mix, and accompanying compilation of brief but still informative personal narratives. Think of Part Two as: “I am a walking pastiche. These songs are literary texts from which I borrow and make sense of myself and my surroundings. This CD provides but a few examples of how I am the product of my culture which, in part, includes music.”
You must compile your Top Five/Top 10 songs that signify, align with, play a key role in, or remind you of noteworthy, essential instances in your biography. Your CD case insert (cover, song list, and interior) must visually and narratively articulate each song’s intended meaning or importance. Chronicle whatever ultra-significant life stories make “you” . . . well . . . you . . . The music (soundtrack) and liner notes (artwork and narratives) should complement five or 10 noteworthy rising actions and complications from your life: Moments of significant growth, change, and now reflection.
Looking for an example? You can see Mr. Zoubek's Top Five! Click below . . .
If you're curious about the five songs Mr. Zoubek referenced, you can hear them below. Wave your cursor under each song title and click.
1. "Can't You See" (The Marshall Tucker Band)
2. "Eruption" (Van Halen)
3. "Bam!" (The Jerky Boys)
4. "Your Name" (Willie Nelson)
5. "I Won't Back Down" (Tom Petty)
Struggling to make your CD cover and liner notes? You have two formatting options.
You can download a legal-sized (8.5-inch by 14-inch) Microsoft Publisher template here . . .
You can download an 8.5-inch by 11-inch Microsoft Publisher template here . . .
Having trouble opening the link above? Here are step-by-step instructions for creating and formatting CD liner notes in Microsoft Publisher . . .
Why create a “personal soundtrack” in the first place? Consider the attached quotes from our in-class readings.
This newspaper article demonstrates the extent to which truth sometimes mirrors fiction . . .